On Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs will be without defensive lineman Chris Jones and starting guard Andrew Wylie against the Houston Texans.
The popular maxim in the NFL is that the game is lost and won in the trenches. That theory will be tested when the Kansas City Chiefs attempt to stop the Houston Texans at home without both defensive lineman Chris Jones and starting guard Andrew Wylie on Sunday afternoon.
The AFC’s Divisional Round playoffs are ready to kick off for the second time with the winner advancing to host the Tennessee Titans. The opportunity for both the Texans and the Chiefs is ripe, but first they have to take care of the other in a game that features two of the NFL’s brightest young quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
On Sunday, however, the Chiefs must find a way to compensate for both player on the lines. The substitution of someone for Wylie will be much easier for the Chiefs to handle than the loss of Jones. Wylie has already missed six games this season due to injury at various points, and the team’s signing of Stefen Wisniewski has created an interesting competition for the reps at left guard.
As for Jones, it will be much tougher to stomach his loss. His presence along the line frees up so many other players and now Frank Clark will have to handle a tougher mantle of leadership and presence along the defensive front. Terrell Suggs can help outside, but the inside disruption provided by Jones is something the line can shift worrying about, and the Chiefs can only hope their investment in Khalen Saunders can provide a counter.
Chris Jones just got done his on the field workout. He was wearing a sleeve on his right calf with a knee brace on that knee as well. I’m told he WILL NOT be active. They wanted to see the workout and make the call. Apparently didn’t see what they wanted.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 12, 2020
Jones was named to his first Pro Bowl earlier this year. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they lost to the Texans the first time around and Jones missed that contest as well due to a midseason injury.
Other inactives include: linebacker Darron Lee, offensive lineman Jackson Barton, cornerback Morris Claiborne, quarterback Chad Henne, and offensive lineman Ryan Hunter.